Croatian Fairy Tales

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (1874–1938) — Croatian children's writer and poet. Many generations of her family were known literati, linguists, and public and political figures. The girl received an excellent home education and spoke several languages fluently. Following in the footsteps of her famous relatives, she became fascinated with literature from a young age: Ivana wrote essays, poems, stories, and novels. The writer's work was predominantly aimed at a children's audience. From the example of her own children, she grasped the purity of a child's soul and the peculiarities of a child's worldview. In 1902, her first collection of stories and songs for the youngest readers was published. Brlić-Mažuranić's works were highly appreciated by the public, and she continued to publish. Ivana was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice, and her works were translated into many languages. In 1916, her collection of fairy tales "Tales of Old" was published, considered the pinnacle of the writer's literary creativity; it brought her the greatest fame.

This edition includes six of her magical Croatian fairy tales. On the pages of the collection, readers will encounter dangerous adventures, wondrous prophecies, unbreakable oaths, and examples of true friendship. The fairy tales in the collection are imbued with a spirit of magic; they introduce extraordinary beings from the legends of ancient Slavs: powerful gods, brave heroes, nimble household spirits, and treacherous demons. Beautiful illustrations by Vladimir Kirin, depicting mythical heroes and described events in detail, help to immerse one in the fairy-tale reality.